John Outterbridge Remembered As an Icon in the Assemblage Art Movement

With materials that the average person would define as “junk,” world-renowned artist John Outterbridge ‘53 made masterpieces. With works beginning in the 1960s, he became a central figure in the Los Angeles Black Arts Movement of the Civil Rights Era. In a lifetime defined not only by his art but by his activities as a humanitarian, griot and activist, he is also known as a pillar in the assemblage arts movement – an art form that involves the use of everyday items that are assembled into three-dimensional sculptures.

Outterbridge used his gift as an artist to address social and political concerns, and his talent as a griot to reflect on the history of African Americans.

On Nov. 12, 2020, Outterbridge departed this earth and his story was shared with North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University by his only daughter, Tami Outterbridge. His death was announced in publications such as the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, and New York Times.  

Outterbridge was born in March 1933 in Greenville, N.C., as the second born of eight children. His parents, Olivia Northern Outterbridge and John Ivery Outterbridge were very creative people who instilled in him a deep love for his hometown. His father, John Ivery, was what was then called a “junkman;” he hauled, traded, and fixed old and discarded things.  

“Rusted machine parts, glass bottles, shards of metal. My father grew up in an environment that some would have said was full of refuse. But, he saw it as a type of junkyard wonderland. He saw such beauty in what was around him,” said Tami.

Tami shares that some of the most iconic John Outterbridge art pieces are reflections on that Greenville era. For example, two pieces dedicated to his parents: “John Ivery’s Truck: Hauling Away the Traps and Saving the Yams” (1993) and “First Poet Olivia” (1993).

Outterbridge attended North Carolina A&T from 1952 to 1953 and majored in mechanical engineering. However, due to financial issues, and to help the family, he decided to enlist in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany for four years during the Korean War,

During his time in military service, he received quite a lot of attention and favor for his artistic gifts. “While serving in the military, some of the paintings he’d hidden in his locker were discovered by his sergeant. However, instead of getting him into trouble, the discovery of his hidden talents resulted in an invitation to paint murals in the mess hall,” she said.

When his military service came to an end, he was offered opportunities to study abroad but he declined the offer and decided to return home to North Carolina. During the trip home, he soon faced again the reality of the Jim Crow era that plagued the south and found himself sitting in the back of the bus as it brought him home.

“After having served his country, putting his life on the line, watching buddies die, and then coming home and being forced to ride in the back of the bus, he was enraged,” she said. “He did not stay in North Carolina for long after that.” He headed for Chicago, and began studies at The American Academy of Art.”

While living in Chicago, Outterbridge met his wife in 1960, Beverly McKissick, at an African American Catholic church, and in 1963, the couple decided to move to Los Angeles where Outterbridge would eventually connect with the art scene in the city.

In the mid to late 1960s, Outterbridge taught art classes at local colleges and became the founding director of the Communicative Arts Academy in Compton, Calif. In 1975, he became the director of the world-famous Watts Tower Arts Center until he retired from that post in 1992.

“He was called ‘The Griot’ because he captivated people with his stories. People would gather around to hear him. However, he also told stories of who we are and who we have been, through his art,” she says.

Though Outterbridge traveled the world just like his art has, he never forgot where he came from. Says Tami, “Greenville roots spring up and present themselves again and again throughout his lifetime of work.”

Some of Outterbridge’s most iconic pieces include “In Search of the Missing Mule,” (1993) and “About Martin” (1975).

His work is in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and The California African American Museum in Los Angeles, among others.

In 2013, Outterbridge received the Governor’s Award for Outstanding Service to Artists, and in 2012 he received the California African American Museum Lifetime Achievement Award, alongside Academy Award winner, Sidney Poitier.

More than just a celebrated artist, Outterbridge was also a mentor, speaking into the lives of generations of up-and-coming artists. “He was so passionate about life and living and following that blinking light inside of him. I hope his life inspires other Aggies to do the same – follow the blinking light. Run after it.”

To learn more about John Outterbridge and his work, please click here.